F1 : The FIA – You Can’t Please Them All

I recently wrote a post for RichlandF1.com that I wanted to share with you all.

The article touches on a few points and generally focuses on the FIA’s attempts to spice up the Formula One show. Not everyone will agree with me and that’s fine, but it would be difficult to argue or fault the FIA for not trying to appease fans. Does anyone remember the FIA AMD Formula One Fan Survey in 2005? Take a moment to read the article, the link is below, at the very least, it is F1 food for thought.

Whether you like the end product or the means in which it took to get Formula One to the stage it is currently at now is really a side argument. The reality of the situation is that something had to be done to win back fans. The Schumacher years brought some fans closer to the sport, introduced new fans to F1 but also lost the interest of other fans. Processional races where overtaking was largely seen only during pit stops was taking some of the excitement out of the sport. Driver aids made cornering speeds too high and unsafe and took the element of driver error out of the overall equation. Cyclically speaking, this made overtaking even more difficult.

I for one applaud the FIA for its efforts. Although I am not a big fan of DRS and KERS, I can agree that at least the playing field is level for everyone. All parties must adhere to the same rules and have the same tools. Pirelli has been criticized for the high degradation rate of some of their compounds. Some have added to their complaints that the tyres don’t allow for flat-out racing. One must accept the fact that Pirelli have provided what was requested by the FIA. As a result, the last few seasons have offered some of the best racing and on-track battles that F1 fans have had the opportunity to witness in a long time. We often overlook the fact that some teams and drivers get away with making fewer stops than others. This to me is a clear indication that some teams (such as Lotus) do a better job managing their tyres than others. Therefore, the onus should be placed on the engineers and designers to adapt.

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